Negative people... have a problem for every solution.Posts are commentary and are not necessarily endorsed by RAIL Back on Track or its members. Not affiliated with, paid by or in conspiracy with MTR/Metro.

Negative people... have a problem for every solution.Posts are commentary and are not necessarily endorsed by RAIL Back on Track or its members. Not affiliated with, paid by or in conspiracy with MTR/Metro.

Negative people... have a problem for every solution.Posts are commentary and are not necessarily endorsed by RAIL Back on Track or its members. Not affiliated with, paid by or in conspiracy with MTR/Metro.

Since launching its eight-week trial period, Little Group chairman Paul Little’s Port Phillip Ferries venture has struggled to gain anywhere near the uptake it was expecting.

The new service launched with much fanfare on Thursday, May 12, with Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and a number of esteemed guests turning out to support Mr Little’s initiative. However, the 400-seat vessel has since attracted disappointing numbers for its daily run between Wyndham Harbour and Docklands.

Port Phillip Ferries CEO Murray Rance admitted that, while numbers hadn’t been great during the week, he said the group had been very encouraged by higher numbers on weekends.

According to Mr Rance, numbers between Monday and Friday had been averaging “in the 20s”, while weekends had seen numbers peak above 50.

“The customer feedback during the week has been really positive,” Mr Rance said. “Commuters are telling us that it’s a really relaxing ride and a great way to start their day.”

Anecdotally, weekday passenger numbers ranged between 15 and seven in the fortnight preceding this edition of Docklands News.

Asked at the official launch whether he thought the initiative would be a success, the Lord Mayor said he was confident that people would embrace it as a viable transport option.

“I think so. They’ve got open days coming up and I think people will get down to have a look,” Cr Doyle said. “The people of Melbourne will absolutely embrace this as a new form of transport in our beautiful city.”

However, while still in its very early days, it would appear the service faces some significant challenges in keeping the venture afloat, with issues remaining around berthing and ticket prices.

Mr Rance said the business was continuing to tweak its services in reaction to customer feedback and that the response from the corporate and tourism sectors had been “really positive”.

The ferry service will be moving its berthing location from Merchant St to Hortus cafe in the next few weeks in order to connect passengers directly to the free tram service along Harbour Esplanade.

During the trial, tickets cost $13 one-way and $20 return and it’s expected that this will rise to $25 once the trial concludes.

Negative people... have a problem for every solution.Posts are commentary and are not necessarily endorsed by RAIL Back on Track or its members. Not affiliated with, paid by or in conspiracy with MTR/Metro.

COMMUTERS can get on board the Wyndham new ferry service for free tomorrow.

Port Phillip Ferries announced this week that trips from Wyndham Harbour and Docklands would be free for all travellers on Friday, June 10.

It includes all timetabled trips from Werribee South and the Docklands.

The operators have struggled to fill seats on the ship, with passenger numbers remaining low during the trial period.

Wyndham Leader contacted Port Phillip Ferries to question current passenger numbers, the prices and the reasoning.

A spokeswoman for the company said she would provide updated figures next week.

Operations director Murray Rance has previously said while the trial started with low numbers the company expected patronage to improve over time.

“Our research has shown it takes time for people to change their habits and we think it will happen,” he said at the time.

An online survey found more than 45 per cent of the 1400 people who responded said the price was too expensive.

During passenger trials tickets cost $13 one-way and $20 return.

Others have called for it to be lined into the Myki service.

Leesa Ward wrote on social media if the ferries were subsidised by the government and people could use Myki on-board it would be more popular.

“The ferry is a fantastic idea but is very expensive, especially if you have to catch a connecting train or tram,” Ms Ward said.

Greg Keane wrote: “I like the ferry idea but unless you work in the CBD, can afford the current $100 per week, can work around the lame timetable and can get to the Werribee South jetty easily it’s pretty much useless.”

Just days after its publicised launch there were only seven paying passengers on board the ferry which has seating for up to 400.

AFTER years of lobbying from Bellarine locals, a passenger ferry trial from Portarlington to Melbourne will start next Friday.

The trip is tipped to take about 90 minutes and cost about $25 return.

The service will be operated by Port Phillip Ferries, the privately­ run passenger ferry service that this year began a service between Wyndham Harbour near Werribee and Victoria Harbour at Docklands.

Port Phillip Ferries oper­ations director Murray Rance said the trial service would probably run mid-morning.

“It will run from Portarlington to Docklands and return. People will be invited to register their interest and we’ll provide some information on the website,” he said.

“The feedback from the local community down there has been very strong so we’re actually responding to them.

“(Bellarine MP Lisa) Nev­ille, prior to changing portfolio, asked us if we would run the trial and we’re doing that.”

Mr Rance said if the trial was successful, the company would consider scheduling more test runs, but in order for it to succeed people needed to “jump on board”.

“It needs the people to support it — given the lobbying we’ve see it’s a real opportunity for success,” he said.

“We get the feeling for locals versus the trains and the fact that we can get to Docklands in 88 minutes, it will be a good offering. We’re working on the speed in the Yarra (River) and if it’s successful we’d like to think we can enter in discussions with relevant authorities to take up to 15 minutes off the time.”

Ms Neville said the trial was a significant step.

“As local member I am very supportive of a future ferry service to Melbourne and of course the State Government has committed $15 million for the current construction of the Portarlington Safe Harbour that includes provision for a future­ ferry,” she said.

“It is exciting to see trials taking place and I look forward to PPF’s feedback to government in the coming weeks.”

The company recently had to cut fares for the Wyndham Harbour and Victoria Harbour service because of low passenger numbers.

Mr Rance said they would get feedback from those who attended the July trial and relay that to the government.

“Within the next two to three weeks we’ll be having a discussion with the government on how things are progressing.”

HIGH profile businessman Paul Little has so far spent about $1 million on his struggling ferry trial between the city and the western suburbs.

However, his Port Phillip Ferries company is eyeing a service to Portarlington and even routes like Frankston and St Kilda on the eastern side of the bay.

Port Phillip started running daily commuter services between Wyndham Harbour in South Werribee and Docklands in May, but patronage has been abysmal.

Mr Little, the former Toll Holdings boss who is worth an estimated $870 million, is puzzled why his congestion-busting alternative for CBD workers hasn’t worked.

“We’ve never had a commuter ferry service operating for any time in the bay and so it’s a concept that most Melburnians have got to get their head around,” he said.

“I just think that the service for the people that live in that region, it doesn’t suit their needs.”

Mr Little said that issues like timetable schedules and getting approval to increase speeds on the Yarra River could be addressed, “but I’m still not convinced that Wyndham will work for us on a commercial basis”.

“By any measure you’d have to say that it’s struggling. But have we written it off at this point of time? No.”

Last Friday, Port Phillip Ferries ran a one-off trial between Docklands and Portarlington on the Bellarine Peninsula with all seats booked on the 400-seat catamaran.

Mr Little, the former Essendon Football Club chairman who dealt with the fallout from the supplements saga, was optimistic about the route.

“We could and we’d love to run a daily service from Portarlington and then we’d address the speed in the Yarra, which is a costly exercise but nonetheless one that is doable,” he said.

“We’ve had some very encouraging market surveys that would indicate there could be a regular ongoing demand and we would love to reach that sort of stage if we can.”

Also on the radar are potential services to much closer bay suburbs like Frankston, Brighton and St Kilda.

“It would be more of a shorter haul and more equated to a bus route, I suppose, in terms of the ports of call,” he said.

Mr Little said he had spent about $1 million on the Wyndham trials so far but he could lose at least double that if they continued for the next few months.

Victorians and tourists will continue to enjoy a ferry service from Portarlington to Docklands as the Andrews Labor Government and Port Phillip Ferries build public transport for the future.

Visiting Portarlington Pier today, Minister for Water Lisa Neville announced the Labor Government had struck a deal to guarantee the ferry service for at least three years.

From tomorrow, ferries will run out of Portarlington, giving local commuters another travel option and bringing tourism to the Bellarine. A new schedule and pricing arrangement will also be available.

Work is underway to raise speed limits on the Yarra to appropriate levels – which could slash journey times by up to 15 minutes. This is on track to be in place early in the new year, subject to a safety and environmental review.

Commuters and day-trippers will be able to use the service throughout the coming summer months and for the Christmas school holidays, as tourist numbers swell across the Bellarine.

Construction continues on the $15 million Portarlington Safe Harbour project that includes provision for dedicated ferry berthing. These works are progressing well and will be completed in early 2017.

The Government and Port Phillip Ferries are working through the final details of the agreement. Services out of Wyndham Harbour will not be renewed at this stage.

We’re supporting the local Bellarine economy and ensuring our state remains a tourism hotspot well in the future.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Water Lisa Neville

“The Andrews Labor Government was elected to put people first, and we’ve spent every day of the last two years achieving that by giving Victorians and tourists the transport services they need to get around our state.”

“During the busy summer months when tourism swells across the Bellarine, this will be a great way to commute to the city.”

Quotes attributable to Port Phillip Ferries Owner Paul Little

“My vision has always been using Port Phillip Bay more effectively for commuters and visitors to our wonderful city.”

“This is an exciting time as we see the bay opened up for commuters, particularly those living on the Bellarine Peninsula, and for Melburnians travelling the other way.”

“We hope to extend the service to other regions of our bay once services for Portarlington are established.”

The brains behind Richmond’s $1 billion Nylex site redevelopment have mooted a ferry service for the Yarra River that could help ease congestion in the inner city.

The proposal to make the river an alternative transport corridor – by ferrying passengers daily to and from Richmond and the CBD – forms part of developer Caydon’s Cremorne project The Malt District. The landmark site faced controversy when Heritage Victoria expressed concerns for its famous silos and Nylex sign last year. The sign and many of the silos are being retained.

The proposed ferry is expected to take about seven minutes to travel from the Cremorne development to the city. The theoretical route may also stop at the Richmond sporting precinct during events and around Chapel Street, potentially easing overcrowding at South Yarra station.

The proposal takes inspiration from ferries in Sydney and New York City, and developers hope to attract tourists to an underutilised part of the river, Mr Stratton said.

Caydon wants government support for the idea, including from Yarra River custodians Parks Victoria, although it would privately fund the service itself by partnering a riverboat operator. But Mr Stratton said the viability of the service would rest on a final business case.

The brains behind Richmond’s $1 billion Nylex site redevelopment have mooted a ferry service for the Yarra River that could help ease congestion in the inner city.

The proposal to make the river an alternative transport corridor – by ferrying passengers daily to and from Richmond and the CBD – forms part of developer Caydon’s Cremorne project The Malt District. The landmark site faced controversy when Heritage Victoria expressed concerns for its famous silos and Nylex sign last year. The sign and many of the silos are being retained.

The proposed ferry is expected to take about seven minutes to travel from the Cremorne development to the city. The theoretical route may also stop at the Richmond sporting precinct during events and around Chapel Street, potentially easing overcrowding at South Yarra station.

The proposed ferry would take about seven minutes to reach the city from Richmond.The proposed ferry would take about seven minutes to reach the city from Richmond. Photo: Craig Abraham

The proposal takes inspiration from ferries in Sydney and New York City, and developers hope to attract tourists to an underutilised part of the river, Mr Stratton said.

Caydon wants government support for the idea, including from Yarra River custodians Parks Victoria, although it would privately fund the service itself by partnering a riverboat operator. But Mr Stratton said the viability of the service would rest on a final business case.

The Nylex sign and the silos are a landmark in Melbourne.The Nylex sign and the silos are a landmark in Melbourne. Photo: Josh Robenstone

Last year, Port Phillip Ferries – owned by developer Paul Little – ran an eight-week trial ferry from Werribee South’s Wyndham Harbour to Docklands, but canned the service following poor patronage. A Portarlington to Docklands route proved more popular, with the company committing to a regular service for the next three years.

Mr Stratton believed the Yarra River route would prove more popular than the Port Phillip Bay passage, given it was a significantly shorter distance and would be more attractive to commuters wanting to get into the city on a daily basis.

With the growth of Australia’s knowledge economy, research shows jobs will continue to be concentrated in the city centre, putting further stress on choked public transport systems and gridlocked roads. The state government is already looking at a $600 million fix to get commuters to re-embrace the city’s bus routes.

Victorian Transport Association chief executive Peter Anderson welcomed any push that took cars off the road.

“Using the river as mode of transport is a creative initiative,” Mr Anderson said.

“This is a low impact and highly efficient service using a part of the river where there’s not a lot of competition, although maybe with rowers in the morning,” he said. “Cities like Sydney have been doing this for a long time.”

But Tony Morton, Public Transport Users Association president, said there was a natural role for ferries in Sydney and Brisbane because those cities were bisected by very large bodies of water, while the Yarra River was narrower and easier to bridge.

He said the proposed ferry would overlap the existing route 70 tram. “We’re not so keen on the idea of trying to meet people’s transport needs by providing a niche service here and a niche service there.”

“Although we find the idea of a ferry an interesting curiosity, it’s just one of a number of these types of projects that have been tried and have not been able to sustain themselves because they are essentially duplicating something that already exists.”

A COMMUTER river ferry would run from Chapel St to the city and Docklands under a plan being hatched by high-profile businessman Paul Little and Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.

Preliminary talks have begun about running a service on the Yarra river from the Church St Bridge into the CBD and beyond.

Mr Little’s Port Phillip Ferries company, which runs a service between Portarlington and Docklands, is considering its options.

Port Phillip Ferries chief executive Murray Rance said many criteria had to be met before the service was viable.

“We are interested and we are having conversations but we need to do a fair bit more research,’’ Mr Rance said.

That included wash, speed, bridge heights and the impact on other users such as the rowers from clubs near Alexandra Gardens, he said.

“But there’s an appetite for it,’’ Mr Rance said.

r Doyle said he was a strong supporter of a new ferry service on the Yarra.

“I’ve spoken to Paul Little about this possibility and I’m very hopeful that if we can remove some regulatory barriers it would be a great addition to Melbourne’s tourism and transport options,” he said.

Mr Rance said approvals were needed from several government departments as well as consulting other river users.

“If you drive down Alexandra Avenue in the mornings, it’s hopeless trying to get into the city, so it’d make sense to use the waterways,” he said.

Mr Little, former boss of Toll Holdings and ex-chairman of the Essendon Football Club, launched Port Phillip Ferries, which runs services three times a day from Docklands to Portarlington.

The company already has a base at Victoria Harbour and would need to find a new stop along the river in the city, possibly near Princes Bridge or Crown. A new pontoon or stop would also have to be created on the banks of the river near the Church St Bridge.

A much smaller vessel would be required, rather than the 35m vessel crossing the bay. The ferry would enable travellers to connect to or from Chapel St trams and South Yarra train station.

Port Phillip Ferries has emerged as a potential operator of a Yarra River ferry service to take passengers from South Yarra and Richmond to the CBD and Docklands.

The privately owned ferry service - which currently runs between Portarlington, on the Bellarine Peninsula, and Docklands - has confirmed it is discussing a river commuter service with Richmond's $1 billion Nylex site developer Caydon Property Group.

Port Phillip Ferries wants to run a Yarra River commuter service. Here's how its Wyndham to Docklands service looked during an eight-week trial.

Caydon first raised the river commuter service in Domain as a travel alternative to the congestion on Punt Road and Alexandra Avenue.

The developer said the proposed ferry would take about seven minutes to travel from Cremorne to the city. It suggested other stops could include the Richmond sporting precinct and around Chapel Street in South Yarra.

Commuters travelling by car at 8am on Thursday would have taken about 18 minutes to travel from the Nylex site to Docklands and 21 minutes from Chapel Street.

Port Phillip Ferries chief executive officer Murray Rance said the ferry proposal was in its early stages. He said travel times would depend on how fast a vessel could travel, and the number of stops.

Mr Rance said his company's ferry service from Portarlington to Docklands took four years to develop, but he believed the Richmond project could be running within a year.

"Because of what we have done with Portarlington and our experience on the bay and the river, yes we are interested, but there is lots of research to done," Mr Rance said.

He said stops could include Chapel Street, Cremorne, Richmond, the Royal Botanic Gardens.

"A lot of people ... have been talking about the commuter aspect of it but there is a great potential for tourism as well," Mr Rance said.

"There are a lot of things you can showcase in our city from the river," he said.

He said stakeholders like Parks Victoria, and rowing clubs would need to be consulted, and that issues for the service would include the vessel's wash and speed, and bridge heights.

The vessel used would need to be much smaller than the one used for the Portarlington service which is a 35-metre, 100-tonne, 400-person vessel, he said.

AN inner city ferry commuter service is a step closer with the potential operator encouraged by recent trials.

Businessman Paul Little wants to run the service between Docklands and the Church St Bridge to appeal to residents and shoppers around Chapel St.

Mr Little, who owns Portarlington to Docklands operator Port Phillip Ferries, said trials on the Yarra River had been positive.

“We’re still going through the viability but it’s looking encouraging,” he told the Herald Sun.

“Since we made more public our interest in running the service we’ve had a lot of other parties approach us about the possibility of having stations along the way.”

“It’s quite exciting.”

Mr Little, the former Essendon Football Club chairman, said the next step was to work out how many stops to have.

“(Lord Mayor) Robert Doyle speaks a lot about shoppers wanting to access Chapel St without the need to be parking vehicles and so forth, so I think there’d be an element of shopping and day trippers there,” he said.

Cr Doyle said that Mr Little was a man of vision and determination and “I’ve always been optimistic about his proposal”.

“And if things are going in the right direction, that’s great news for Melbourne commuters,” he said.

“I love that Melbourne is a place where we work together to get things done so while there may be obstacles to making this service a reality, I am hopeful that we can work through them.”

Port Phillip Ferries is getting a new purpose-built vessel to better suit bay conditions for the Portarlington service, which has been running since last year after a trial between Docklands and Wyndham Harbour failed.

Mr Little said the future of the Portarlington route was still being considered.

“Operationally it’s wonderful, it’s just getting our heads around whether it’s a commuter service or whether it’s more, I guess, appealing to people who want to use it as more of a tourist type thing or a combination of both,” he said.

The firm is currently offering a special where commuters pay just one-way for the $27 return service leaving Portarlington at 7am and returning from Docklands at 5.30pm.

There is also a Geelong “maiden voyage” planned for October 7 which includes dinner at a Bellarine Peninsula winery.

Mr Little and his wife Jane Hansen were today honoured at the State Library for donating $3.5 million to the library’s redevelopment project.